Bead stitching and trimming apparatus for tire-building machines



BBAD STITCHING AND TRIMMING APPARATUS FOR TIRE BUILDING MACHINES Fi ledFeb. 17, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jhz/EYMH. 7755/5 5555472:

J MW 1 25 Patented July 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,592,871 PATENT OFFICE.

MERLE C. SCROTE, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GOODRICI-ICOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BEAD STITCHING AND TRIMMING APPARATUS FOR TIRE-BUILDING MACHINES.

Application filed February 17, 1923. Serial No. 619,648.

This invention relates to apparatus for pressing or stitching the fabricin the bead portions of a pneumatic tire, in the manufacture thereof,and for trimming the excess fabric from such portions of the tire, thedevice here shown being designed to roll and compact about the bead theplies of fabric which are drawn onto the tire-building core after thebead-core, commonly referred to as the head, has been applied to theunderlying plies of the partly built tire,

and to trim the fabric at the toe of the bead.

The chief objects of my invention are to provide improved time and laborsaving apparatus for the work mentioned, and particularly to providelargely automatic apparatus and apparatus adapted for very accurateoperation upon the tire. Further specific objects are to insure adequatepressure of the bead stitching tools upon the work and to provide asubstantially automatic trii'nming knife for severing the excess fabricaround the inner periphery of the bead.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away and in section, of partsof a tire-building machine embodying a preferred form of my apparatus,and the work in place.

F ig. 2 is a section of the same on line 22 of Fig. 1, showinginstrumentalities adapted to operate upon one side of the tire, thosefor the other side being similar thereto.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2 but with parts at adifferent stage of operation.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a holder for a trimming knife, andthe knife therein.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the same taken at 9( o from thesection. of Fig. (3.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is the chuck of a tire-building machine,said chuck being adapted to support and drive a tire-core 11 mountedthereon, and the particular chuck here shown being of the type shown anddescribed in Butler U. S. Patent No. 1,285,928 of November 26, 1918. 12designates the inner or muler-the-bead plies of a partially built tireon said core, 13 is the tire-bead. applied thereto, and 1. is one of theouter or o *er-the-bead plies.

Mounted upon the floor adjacent to and aligned. with the chuck 10 is a,standard 15 formed with a bearing fork 16 at its top and, on its portionnearest the chuck, with a cam bracket 17 provided with a pair of L-shaped cam surfaces each having a vertical face, such as 17, disposedconcentrically with relation to the bearing of said fork, and ahorizontal face, such as 17 at the top thereof, said surfaces being sodisposed that the vertical faces 17 prevent their cam followers fromclosely approaching each other, as they approach the core 10, until saidfollowers pass from the vertical faces 17 onto the horizontal faces 17.

Journaled in the bearing fork 1G is a hollow shaft 18, having a pinion19 secured thereon between the arms of said fork, and splined on saidhollow shaft at'each side of the bearing fork 16 is a hub-member 20carrying a tool-arm 20*, adapted to be swung past the outer periphery ofthe core, into and out of operative position. Said hub member is formedwith a circumferential groove 21 in which are mounted thestud members ofa shipper fork 22, said fork be- 111g formed on one am of a threearmedlever 23 pivoted on a bracket 2% projecting from the standard 15, theouter arm 23 of said three-armed lever being connected by a pull spring25' with a stationary member at the base of said standard, to urge thehubmember 20 away from the bearing fork 16,

and the inner arm 23* of said lever being adapted to be engaged by a dog26 adjustably secured upon a rack 27, in the lower part of the lattersstroke, for forcing the hub-member 20 toward the bearing bracket 16against the force of said spring 25. The rack 27 is adjustably securedupon the upper end of the piston-rod 28 of a vertical fluid-pressurecylinder 29 secured to the base of the standard 15 and provided withpipes 30, 31 at its respective ends for actuating its piston in bothdirections. The rack 27 is slidably held against the standard 15 byretaining guides 27, 27 and is adapted to mesh with the pinion 19 in theupper portion only of its stroke, when the hub-members 20 are spreadapart by the springs25, for turning the hollow-shaft Band with it thehub-members 20 splined thereon. Each of said hub-members has a camroller 32 adjustably secured thereon and adapted to rest upon thehorizontal face 17" of the cani member 17 to hold the, hub-member20 inposition, whilethe rack27is unmeshed from he gear 19, against the w ightof the too arm 20 and tools mounted thereon and the force of the workagainst the latter.

The cam roller is journalcd on the outer end of an arm 38 pivoted uponthe hub-member 20 and form d with a slot concentric with its pivot, aclamping belt 35, projecting from 'an arm formed on said hub member,being mounted in said slot and adapted to hold the cam-roller arm inadjusted angular positions with relation to said hub member, this consruction being such that the tool arm 2 n ay be accurately adjustedas toits operative position and positively held against the force of thewori: tending to turn it about its pivot.

The dog 26 is mounted in a recess formed in the back of the rack 27, isthreaded upon an adjusting bolt swiveled in said rach, traversing saidrecess, and providee *ith a clamping nut 37 to prevent it -from tun ingfrom adjusted position, and said dog is adapted slidably to bear uponthe retainii guides 27 to prevent its turning and thus compel it to moveupward or downward with relation to the rack when the adjusting bolt 87is turned.

Journaled upon the tool arm 20 are tireworking tools 38, 39, 4:0,adapted to inove laterally against the work, to press the overthe-beadplies of fabric, 14;, about the head 13, when the tool arms are broughttogether by action of the dog 26 upon the levers 23, the cam rollersrunning upon the horizontal faces 17 of the cam 17, after the rack 27,in its downward stroke,has swung the tool arms upward into operativeposition by driving the pinion l9 and has passed out of mesh with saidpinion. The inner end of each tool arm 20 is apertured, slidably keyedupon its hub-member E20, and provided with a set screw 41 whereby it maybe secured in adjusted positions lengthwise of said hub-member, to adaptit fortires of d ifferent cross-sectional diameter. F or liniiting theoutward movement oi the hubmen'iber and tool arm, a stop-member 42 issecured upon a rock-shaft d3 extendingthrough and projecting from eachend of the hollow shaft 18, said roclnshaft being rotatably mounted inbushings, such as ii, mounted in counter-bores in the respective ends ofsaid hollow shaft, and said stop member being provided at its ends withcam rollers 45, 45 adapted to be abutted by the bottom faces of notchesd6; 46 termed in the end of the huh-i iember 20, and so to limit theoutward movement of the hub member effected by the spring My improvedtrimming mechanism coniprisesa radially disposed bolt l7 mounted on andprojecting trointhe' outer end 01": the tool-arm 20 said bolt beingprovided with nuts, for securing it 1 adjusted positions. Secured onminute or said bolt is a blitClZQt'dt) or" special shape, having abearing fork in which is pivoted at 50, a knife holding sleeve 51 andhaving a pair of parallel, projecting ears provided with opposed setvscrews 53, 53, the latter being adapted to adjust the linife holdingsleeve 5'1 about its pivot 50, to vary its angle to the plane of thecore 11, while adjustment or the knife-holder from and toward the axisof the chuck 10, as in adapting it for tires of dii'l orent sizes, maybe eli'ected by adjustment of bolt l7.

Slidably mounted in the knife-holding sleeve 51 is a .nide formed with alengthwise, knife seating recess 55 in which is inped a bead-trimmingknife 5b, the from. end of said slide being tapered, split, as indicatedat 5T, 57 to provide knite-clam'pim; jaws, 58, 58, externally threaded,and provided with a clamping nut 59 slidably titting within the sleeve51 and formed with a clamping flange coinpleii'iental to the taperedsurface of the clamping jaws 58 andadapted to spring the latter togetherupon the knife when said nut is set up. For preventing recession oi thetrimming knife 56 in the slide 54:, or ior setting it forward as itwears away at the point, a dog 60 is threaded upon a worm-shaft 61sviveled in the slide 5%, said dog having a portion projecting into therecess and adapted to abut the rear end of the knife 56, the exposedrear end oi said worm-shaft being squared, as shown at 62, to receive awrench. I

For projecting the knife 56 into operative position against the tirecore and tracting it therefron'i, a two-armed lever 63 is pivoted at 64son the tool arm 20, the outer end of said lever extending through anopening 51 in the sleeve 51 and being mounted between the clai'nping nut59 and a flange (55 projecting fronithe slide 5%, by engagement withwhich nut and flange rcspeetively said lever is adapted to move theslide 5-l, and the knife therein, toward and from the tire core. Theopposite end of said lever is connected with a bracket 66, 5-1e cured tothe tool arm, by a pull spring 67, said spring always urging the knifein the direction of the/core. Ivl'eans are provided for retracting theknife, toward the sleev: 51, against the force of the spring 67 and.latching it in such retracted position, between trinnning operations, sothat it will clear the work as the tool arm is moved. Saidindie-retracting and latching means comprises a slide bolt 68 mounted ina guideboss 69 formed on the tool arm, said slide-- bolt bein adapted atone end to abut the inner end of the lever 63, and, when the tool armmoves laterally away from the core, to abut, at its other end, asegmental plate 70 secured upon the rock-shaft 4.3, said'plate'beingadapted to stop said slide bolt so that continued outward movement at.

the tool arm, under action of the spring 25, overcomes the force of thespring 67, the slide-bolt 68 actuating the lever 63 to retract theknife. F or latching the knife in retracted position, the slide bolt 63is pro vided near its outer end with a flange 71 having a beveled faceand a radial face, so as to act as a cam-latch member in relation to alatching pawl 72 pivoted at 73 on a projection from the tool arm, saidpawl being backed by a spring 72 adapted to urge it into latchingposition back of the flange 71, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, after beinglifted by and passing over the beveled face of said flange, and toremain in latching position while the tool arm swings down ward awayfrom the core and also while said arm is subsequently raised and movedinward toward the core, the pawl, slide-bolt 68 and other parts carriedby the tool arm all moving together in such inward movement and saidslide-bolt, being latched by the pawl, leaving the segmental plate 70,and the spring 67 being under tension.

For tripping said pawl to permit the spring 67 to project the knifeagainst the core, the stop member 42, secured upon the rock-shaft 43 asabove described, is provided at one end with a finger 74 adapted to liftsaid pawl when said rock-shaft is turned, the lifted position of thepawl be ing shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The rock-shaft is providedwith a handle 75 for this operation, the weight of said handle beingsuch as normally to hold the finger 7d away from the pawl. The segmentalplate 70 is adapted to stop and prevent ejection of the slide-bolt 68 bythe spring 67 upon the tripping of the latching mechanism, the partsthen being in the relative positions shown in Fig. 4.

The cam rollers 45 on the ends of the stop member 42 are adapted toenter the cam notches l6 in the end of the hub-member 20 when the lattermoves outward, to prevent the tripping of the knife when the tool arm isin its outward position, as it is while being'lowered from or raised tooperative position. The arms of the stop-member 42 extend throughnotches in the end of the hollow shaft 18, said notches permitting suchlimited movement of the rock-shaft as is required. to trip the pawl butnot such movement as would result in the cam rollers 45 failing toreenter their notches 46 in the hub-member in the subsequent outwardmovement of the latter. A cushioned abutment, such as is shown at 76,Fig. 1, is pro vided on each side of the standard 15 to stop therespective tool arms in their position of rest.

In the operation of the apparatus, the tool arms resting upon theirstops 76, the rack 27 being at its uppermost position, in mesh with thepinion 19, the lower end of the cylinder 29 being charged, the knife 56being latched in retracted position, and the tire carcass having beenbuilt, upon the core 10, to the stage at which the over-the-bead pliesare to be pressed onto and about the head 13, the cylinder 29 isreversed, whereupon the downwardly moving rack 27 drives the pinion 19in the first part of its stroke to swing the tool arms upward tooperative position, the spring 25 holding the hub member 20 against thecam rollers 45 of the stop member 42, the dog 26 being above and out ofcontact with the lever arm 23, and the cam roller 32 passing upwardalong the vertical face 17 a of the cam 17, but not necessarily incontact therewith. When said roller has reached the curved junction ofsaid face with the horizontal cam faces 17 'the dog 26 engages the leverarm 23 and draws the hub-member 20 with the tool arm and associatedparts inward to force the tire working tools 38, 39, 40 against thework. As the cam roller 32 passes onto the horizontal cam face 17 b inthis movement the rack 27 pass-es out of mesh with its pinion 19, sothat the tool arm is then supported at the proper elevation by said camface. The upper end of the cylinder 29 remains charged to press thetools against the work while the core is rotated, the over-the-beadplies being thereby rolled about the head.

In moving inward the hub-member 20 leaves the stop member 412, andcarries with it the latched trimming mechanism. hen the rollingoperation has so far progressed as to fit the fabric snugly about thebead, the trimming mechanism is tripped by lift- 'ing the handle 75,whereupon the spring 67 throws the trinnning knife into operativeposition, shown in Fig. 2, where it trims the excess fabric from the toeof the head during continued rotation of the core. This opera tioncompleted, the cylinder 29 is reversed, and in the first part of theupward stroke of the rack the spring 25 is permitted by the recession ofthe dog 26 to move the tool arm laterally away from the core, .and asthe roller 32 reaches the end of the cam face 17 the rack messes withthe pinion 19 .so that the cylinder 29 cushions the fall of the tool armto its inoperative position against its stop 76. The trimming mechanismis automatically reset and latched dur ing the outward and downwardmovement of the tool arm, as will be clear from the foregoingdescription. so that the apparatus is ready for a repetition of thecycle of operations described.

- It will be understood that the similar mechanism mounted upon theopposite end portion of the shaft 18 operates simultaneously and in thesame manner, to roll and trim the opposite bead, and that both trim- Iming knives are'tripped by the turning of the handle 7 advan age of the@111- bodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings isthat the tool carrying structures, when not in operative posi tion, liebelow the core, out of the way.

Modifications may be resorted to within the scope of my invention, andIdo not wholly limit my claims to the specific embodiment shown.

I claim:

1. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rot-atably supporting atire-core in a vertical plane, a tire-core thereon, a tool-carryingstructure having an operative position at the side of said core and aresting position below said core, and a recipro eating drive memberadapted by a single, straight movement in one direction to elevate saidstructure and force it laterally toward the core and by its returnmovement to withdraw said structure laterally from the core and permitit to return to its position of rest below the core.

2. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a shaft mounted adjacent said core andtransverse thereto. a tool arm non-rotatably mounted on said shaft andhaving its tool-carrying portion adapted to move laterally of the core,a power actuated driving member adapted by a single movement to swingsaid arm to operative 'position by driving said shaft and to force itstool-carrying portion laterally toward the core with a determinateyielding pressure.

3. 'lire-building' apparatus comprising; means for rotatably supportinga tire-core, a tire-core thereon, a shaft journaled adjacent said coreand transverse thereto, a tool arm non-rotatably and slidably mounted onsaid shaft and adapted to he swung approximately to operative positionat the side of said core, and a drive member adapted in the first partof its movement to drive said shaft and to so swing said arm and in thelatter part of the same movement to slide said arm on said shaft toforce itlaterally toward said core.

4. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a shaft iournaled adjacent said core andtransverse thereto. a pair of tool arms non-rotatablv mounted on said shaft but having'the'ir toolcarrying portions adapted to move laterally ofthe tire-core, a pinion secured to said shaft. a rack adapted ina partof its stroke to drive said pinion and then pass out ofuiesh therewith,means on'said rack for moving said arms laterally of the core as saidrack passesout'of mesh with its pinion; and means for preventing saidarms from being driven by the work when said rack unmeshed from itspinion.

Tire-building, apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core,

a tire-core thereon, a shaft journaled adjacent said core on an axistransverse thereto, a tool arm structure nonrotatably and slid ahlymounted on said shat" means for driving'said shaft to swing saidtool-arm structure approxi ately to operative position at the side ofthe core, means for sliding said tool-arm structure on said shaft towardthe core, and a supporting member adapted to receive said toolarmstructure as it is so slid to prevent it from being driven by the work.

6. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for crotatably supporting atire-core a tire-core thereon, a pivoted tool-carrying structure adaptedto be moved past the outer periphery oi. said core into and out ofoperative position, a mounting. for said toolcarrying' structure, a toolmounted on said structure and adapted to be projected and retracted withrelation thereto, a spring adapted to urge said tool toward itsprojected position on said structure, means interposed ope itivelybetween said structure and its moun and adapted by relative nii'ivemento't' thetwo to retract said tool against the force of said spring andmeans for moving said structure into and out of operative position.

7. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a. tool-carryingstructure adapted to bemoved past the outer periphery of said core and in a directiontransverse to said movement, to and from operative position, a trimmingknit'e on said structure adapted to be projected and retract-ed withrelation thereto, a spring on said structure adapted to project saidknife. means on said structure, actuated by movement of the latter, forretracting said knife against the force of said spring, means forlatching said knife in retracted position, and a driving member adaptedto move said structure into and out of operative position.

8. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting; atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a tool-carrying structure adapted to bepresented to the work on said core, a head trimming knife movably mounted on said structure. melding; means for.

urging said knii'e toward its projected. operative position, meansactuated by the receding movement of said structure for retracting saidknife against the force of said yielding means, and means for latchingsaid knife in its retracted position.

9. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire core thereon, a toolcarr .'inp; structure adapted tobe presented to the work on said core. a bead trimming knife slidabymounted on said structure. yielding; means for urging said knife towardpro-- jected, operative position,- a lever pivoted on said structure andhaving one end associated with said knife, means adapted to abut theopposite end of said lever in the receding movement of said structurefor retracting said knife, and a latch for hold- .ing said lever in itski'iife-i'eti'acted position.

10. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a pivotally mounted tool arm structureadapted to be moved laterally of said core and to be swung past theouter periphery of said core into and out of operative position, amounting therefor, a bead trimming knife mounted on said tool armstructure and adapted to be moved, with relation to said structure, toproject it against and retract it from said core, yielding means forurging said knife toward its projected position, and a contact member onsaid mounting forretracting said knife against the force of saidyielding means when said structure is moved laterally away from the coreon said mounting.

11. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a shaft journaled ad jacent said coreand transverse thereto, a tool arm mounted on said shaft and having itstool-carrying portion adapted to be moved laterally of the core, meansfor swinging said tool-arm structure and for moving its tool-carryingportion laterally of the core, a bead-trimming knife mounted on saidstructure and adapted to be moved thereon to project it against andretract it from the core, yielding means for urging said knife towardthe core, and a contact member supported by said shaft for moving saidknife with relation to said structure through movement of thetool-carrying portion of the latter withrelation to said shaft.

12- Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a pair of tool-carrying structuresadapted to be presented to the work at the respective sides of the core,a bead-trimming knife mounted on each of said structures and adapted tobe moved with relation thereto to project the knives against and retractthem from the core, yielding means for urging said knives toward theirprojected positions, means for latching them in their retractedpositions against the force of said yielding means, and common means fortripping said latchmg means.

1.3. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a hollow shaft mounted adjacent saidcore and transverse thereto, a pair of tool-arm structures mounted onsaid shaft and adapted to be swung into and out of operative position, aspring-projected bead-trimming knife mounted on each of said structures,an inner shaft journaled in and projecting from the respective ends ofsaid hollow shaft, means on said inner shaft adapted to retract saidknives through movement of the knife-carrying portions of saidstructures with relation to said retracting means, means on saidstructures for latching sai-d knives in their retracted positions, andmeans on said inner shaft for tripping the respective latching means.

it. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a tool-carrying structure adapted to bepresented to said core, a spring-projected bead-trimming knife mountedon said structure, and movable with relationthereto into projected andretracted positions and means for latching said knife in retractedposition.

15. Tire building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire-core, a tire-core thereon, a tool arm pivoted adjacent said coreand adapted to be moved past the outer periphery thereof into and out ofoperative position, a drive pinion for said tool arm, concentric withthe latters pivot, a fluid pressure cylinder mechanism including apiston rod, and a rack on said piston rod, in extension thereof, andmeshed with said pinion.

16. Tire-building apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting atire core, a tool-carrying structure adapted to be presented to saidcore, a spring-projected tool mounted on said structure and movable withrelation thereto into projected and retracted positions, and means forholding said tool in retracted position, against the force of saidspring, as said structure is presented to the core.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14: day of February,1923.

MERLE C. SCROTE.

